core sector communique

SMS Siemag inaugurates new office complex and modernized piping shop

 

On Friday, September 25, 2009, the doors opened to the newly built office complex and the modernized piping shop at the Hilchenbach location of SMS Siemag AG, Germany.

 More than 300 guests attended the official opening ceremony, among them the Siegen-Wittgenstein District Administrator Paul Breuer, the Mayor of Hilchenbach Hans-Peter Hasenstab, and representatives of the Employers’ Association of Siegen-Wittgenstein, Siegen Chamber of Commerce, the district, the town of Hilchenbach, the Works’ Council, the IG Metall Trade Union, the architectural, construction, and trades companies responsible for the work, as well as the family companies of Siemag Weiss KG.

Commitment to the location

Dr. Heinrich Weiss took the opportunity to emphasize that the invest­ment program will go ahead despite the current financial and eco­nomic crisis. It is scheduled to run up to 2012 and dedicated to boosting the competitiveness of the works in Hilchenbach. “Here in Hilchenbach, where our family-owned company was founded more than 130 years ago, we are building Europe’s most modern and pro­ductive heavy machinery workshop. Simultaneously, we will continue to push forward technical development – with a special focus on green technology and resource-saving machine and plant design. Products like these enable our customers to produce even more competitively so they can emerge from the crisis along with us stronger than ever.”

Dr. Kay Mayland used the occasion to thank the shareholders of Siemag Weiss KG for the coming investments that clearly prove their commitment to the location. He also thanked all the project teams and companies that played a part, and explained the further stages for increasing the efficiency and improving the production logistics of our manufacturing shops between now and 2012. “The alterations and extensions,” said Dr. Mayland, “are already everywhere you look on the company site. Next up is construction of a new gear manu­facturing shop and a new training workshop. We are also investing in even more powerful machine tools and machining equipment. The delivery traffic problem has been eased, and that will also prevent future tailbacks on the B508 federal highway. Now our new routing system directs the 70-plus delivery trucks per day from Obere Schweisfurth via the south of the site, so only outgoing traffic uses the west gate to reach the B508.”